On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about art and illustration with my guest, Geninne Zlatkis.
Geninne is an artist living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband Manolo, their two sons and a rescue puppy named Zorro. She was born in New York, but shortly after her parents began traveling around South America, where she lived in seven different countries and went to several English speaking schools. She studied architecture in Chile for a couple of years before graduating as a graphic artist in Mexico.
One of Geninne’s mixed media works.
Geninne works in a variety of media, including watercolor, ink, and pencil. She also sews, embroiders, and loves to hand carve rubber stamps. She loves birds, flowers, and has been taking photos since she was 15 years old.
Geninne loves to paint birds.
When you order something from Geninne’s shop she personalized your packaging.
A glimpse of Geninne’s studio.
A page from Geninne’s calendar.
I have followed Geninne’s work for nearly a decade through her blog and now through her beautiful Instagram account. This is the first podcast interview she’s done and the first time I’ve heard her voice. It was truly a special experience and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
“Enchanted” by Geninne Zlatkis.
We talk about:
- The definition of home and the idea of making a home where ever you are
- Geninne’s husband, Manolo, and the beautiful modern houses he builds. They live in each house while Manolo finishes it and then sell it.
- How Geninne decides what to say yes to and what to say no to.
- Being a collector of beautiful, handmade things.
- Why working in watercolors and ink suits Geninne so well.
- Why Geninne has chosen to stay on Etsy and what she sells there versus in her Big Cartel shop
- Geninne’s book, Making an Impression, which was published by Lark Craft in 2012
- Illustration Friday, which was Geninne’s introduction to sharing her art online
- licensing designs with Galison (Geninne also has a fabric collection with Cloud9)
- using Instagram to launch a new collection and Geninne’s decisions to post in both Spanish and English
Geninne mentions:
- Bookhou
- Resurrection Fern
- gouache
- Danny Gregory’s Sketchbook Skool
And, of course, I ask Geninne to recommend some great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Gennine recommends:
I recommend The Yarn Whisperer by Clara Parkes.
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This episode is sponsored by Brindille & Twig, Scandinavian inspired sewing patterns for kid’s clothing from newborn through 5-6T. Designed to be sewn from knit fabrics, Brindille & Twig patterns are beautifully designed, modern, and functional. And almost all Brindille & Twig patterns are unisex, making them exceptionally versatile.
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You can listen to the show right here by clicking on the arrow below, or subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher and listen on the go. If you enjoy the show, tell a friend about it. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this podcast, Abby. I, too, have followed Geninne’s blog for years and am excited to listen and learn more about her. I so enjoy using her desktop calendars to make my monitor at work a brighter, friendlier space (my recent fave was her tribute to Turbo), and her Avian Friends jigsaw puzzle is one of my favorites. I so enjoy following along as she explores new media (can’t wait to see if there is a return to pottery soon on her Instagram).
I love Geninne’s desktop calendars as well and that portrait of Turbo was breathtaking.
it’s been great to hear Geninne’s voice, and his lovely explanations. She’s been so generous sharing a lot of details of her personal life, her experience like an artist and his social media experience. I had a really good time, tahnks!
I agree! It was terrific to hear her story in her own words.
Wonderful podcast! Thank you so much Abby and Geninne for sharing this with us. It was great to learn more about Geninne’s background and experiences and travels and inspiration.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Terri.
Thank you so much for interviewing Geninne Z.! I have also been following her for years and have been super curious about her work and life. Such a great interview! Thank you once again!
You’re welcome, Ana. Thank you for listening.
This was such a wonderful interview, Abby! Thank you so much for a closer look at Geninne, who is my “neighbor” (I live in Santa Fe, and hope to meet her in person one day). I loved how open and giving Geninne was with her recommendations and her stories of how she got the requests for licensing and also how she “runs” – I use quotes around that word, because I really think she “lives” her business. I will share with my friends, for sure. You and Geninne have given me inspiration.
Fabulous interview Abby! I loved learning about Geninne’s endlessly inspiring life!
Loved, loved, loved hearing Geninne’s voice at last.
You mentioned the languishing blog problem (crickets!) I’ve had this too and just switched my blog over to Tumblr simply because I can post to it automagically from Instagram. So far, it’s working much better for me.
Awesome interview, Abby. One of my favorite “art buys” is an original Gennine bird that hangs on the wall of my studio. Her illustration, embroidery, and photography is inspiring on so many levels, but I’ve also enjoyed seeing her son’s drawings and her husband’s architecture. As a quilter, I find inspiration from so many sources, but Gennine’s blog has always been one of my favorites. Great to hear her voice!
Thanks, Vivika. I agree with you that Geninne is a true inspiration. I love her eagerness to try new things – wood burning and ceramics come to mind. It’s wonderful to watch.
How delightful to hear Geninne’s voice after all these years of “seeing” her online! She sounds just as warm and lovely as I thought she would. Thanks, Abby, for another fantastic podcast!
Thank you for listening, Kathy.
What a treat! Long time fan of Geninne and loved hearing her story (and voice). I was surprised to discover she uses watercolour I thought it was a mix of both watercolour and gouache, especially the whites. No surprises photography is her big love though, her Instagram is a visual feast. Thanks Abbey, your podcast is always great company when I work from home : )
Thanks so much for this interview! Geninne’s was one of the first blogs I ever read and I’ve wanted someone to interview her for forever. Love her work…and yours! You did a great job!
Me, too! I was really excited to have the opportunity to record her first audio interview. It was lovely!